Shim Sham Step Sheet--sort of

As I have said before, the Shim Sham has many versions, all slightly different. So this is step sheet for the Shim Sham that we will be doing in my class. Remember there are five main steps to the Shim Sham: Shim sham, break, cross overs, tacky annie,  and the half break. The more advanced tap steps are in parentheses

Shim Sham:
R Stomp (Brush) Step L Stomp (Brush) Step R Stomp (Brush)  ball change R Stomp (Brush) Step
L Stomp (Brush) Step R Stomp (Brush) Step L Stomp (Brush) ball change L Stomp (Brush) Step
R Stomp (Brush) Step L Stomp (Brush) Step R Stomp (Brush) ball change

Break:
R Step L toe back
L Step  Heel R Step Heel L Step
R stamp L Stamp

Cross over:
Push Step or Heel R, L, R, L, R.  L Kick cross over step L, Step R (scuff, R heel, Lstep heel, R step)
Push Step or Heel L R L R. L,  R Kick cross over step R , Step L (scuff, L heel, Rstep heel, L step)
Push Step or Heel R, L, R, L, R.  L Kick cross over step L, Step R (scuff, R heel, Lstep heel, R step)
Push Step L, R kick cross over step R Step L  (Scuff R, L heel, R step heel L Step)
Push Step R, L kick cross over step L (Scuff L, R heel, L step heel)

Tacky Annie:
 Quick step R, L, R (brush) touch, R step L(brush) touch Left step R (brush) touch R step L (brush) touch,
 Quick step R, L, R (brush) touch, R step L (brush) touch Left step R (brush)touch R step L (brush)touch,
 Quick step R, L, R (brush)touch, R step L (brush)touch Left step R(brush) touch R step L (brush)touch,

Half Break:
R step L Step R shuffle ball change
R step L Step R shuffle ball change


Once you know the steps you can put them in order:

Shim Sham
Break
Cross Overs
Tacky Annie
Break
Half Break
Break
Shim Sham
Break (or Freeze)
Cross Overs
Tacky Annie
Break (or Freeze)
Half Break
Break (Or freeze)
Half Break

The original shim sham included just those steps but the more you repeated them during the song, the faster and more extra sounds and turns you added.

The lindy hop shim sham--more swing dancing less tap--also adds a "Boogie" Section and the "Shorty Georgie"which we may have to add just because it's so cute!

The Shim Sham

I am totally hooked on the shim sham in all its incarnations. It is so fun. I will have another post describing how the shim sham really can be seen as a microcosm for the history of tap itself. But here is my favorite you tube video of the shim sham along with a good tutorial of the tap steps. They are slightly different, but welcome to the world of tap!

Happy Tapping!